


The Funeral

by BoWritesStuff



Series: Hanahaki AU [2]
Category: Game Grumps
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 08:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15703821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoWritesStuff/pseuds/BoWritesStuff





	The Funeral

After Dan died, there was the strangest emptiness in Arin’s life. He came to a complete stop. When Dan died, it seemed that he took all of Arin’s happiness and energy with him. He told the rest of the office that he would be gone for maybe a few weeks, and no one objected. Their last day of work together before the hiatus was strange. There wasn't much recording, and when there was, it was low energy and somber. It felt wrong. There was something missing. 

Someone was missing.

No one wanted to release the news, but they had to. Silently, Brian took over the task and released the news on all of their social media, and then logged out of every single account. None of them needed to see the chaos that surrounded the news after that. They just needed… time. Time to process what happened. Time to themselves. The only one that even bothered to check their social media was Ross, and he duly noted that the number next to the notification bell was in the thousands, and Dan’s name was trending in three different spots in the popular tags. He didn’t tell anyone. No one wanted to know. 

The day moved slowly, and everyone just tried to enjoy each other’s company. There wasn’t any real reason to come to work that day. There weren’t any new videos to edit. And slowly, everyone started to leave. Everyone whispered their goodbyes. 

Arin was in the worst spot. Of course they all loved Dan, but Arin… There was something completely… wrong with him together. Like everything in the world was crumbling around him and he was the only survivor. 

And even though none of them say it, they all tip toe around it. All of them say their goodbyes, and then add an extra little goodbye for Arin. 

I hope you feel better, Arin. 

See you later, hopefully.

Goodnight. Love you. Really.

No one said what they all thought. 

It wasn’t your fault. 

Arin stays long after everyone leaves, even Suzy sighed and kissed him goodnight and told him to come home before midnight. He wonders the office, feeling lost. He pauses next to the recording room, half expecting to see Dan browsing on his phone waiting to start recording. 

He can’t believe it all ended so quickly. 

-

Arin is stunned with guilt a few days later when Dan’s sister calls, explaining that in Dan’s will that everything goes to Arin. The house and everything in it. He talked to her for a while, asking how her family was. Dan’s family was miserable. It had been a while since Dan visited, and now that they knew that Dan would never see them again… For a while they were on the phone in silence. Dan was someone that they both loved immensely. 

“Good luck. I’ll see you at the funeral, Arin.” she said before hanging up. 

Without someone talking to him, Arin was alone in his thoughts. And they were loud, too loud. They were overwhelming and impossible. All of them were accusing, prodding at Arin. 

He can’t believe that Dan left everything with him. 

He can’t believe that Dan had a will. 

He can’t believe that Dan was able to hide it for so long. 

How long did Dan see this coming? How long did he suffer? Was Arin so distant and threatening that Dan was too afraid to save his own life by confessing his love? Could Arin have fallen in love with Dan? Was he already in love? Their friendship was so close that, fuck, even Arin didn’t know where platonic and romantic ended anymore. 

But didn’t Dan know that Arin loved him? 

Maybe not in the right way, maybe not in the way that Dan needed. Maybe not in the way that Arin needed to love him to save his life, but…

Didn’t Dan know that when Arin said “I love you” he meant it in every way that would make Dan happy? 

-

The funeral wasn’t as well attended as many people would think. They sent out a limited number of invitations, just restricted to family and friends. No one needed random fans shrieking through the ceremony. This was for people who knew him. Really knew him. 

Arin sees some familiar faces, and in the crowd he sees Dan’s family. Dana, Dan’s sister, manages a sad smile. She heard the news of how Dan died, and she feels bad. Arin must blame himself for all of this. And he didn’t even know. 

She heads his way, and Arin fiddles with the cuffs of his suit. She doesn’t look angry, but God, Arin needs someone to yell at him, to scream at him. He can’t be the only one that blames himself. 

“It wasn’t your fault.” 

Arin turns and walks away. 

-

The funeral is a blur in his mind. It seems to drag on for hours when he’s there, but as the funeral is coming to an end, it feels like it was barely a heartbeat long. 

The coffin is open now. 

That detail registers in Arin’s mind almost immediately. And although the coffin is open, no one has approached it. Whether it be because no one wants to see Dan dead, or because there’s some sort of moral code that the people closest to him should see the body first. 

Arin looks over at Dan’s family. Dana’s sad eyes make eye contact with him, and she nods in the direction of the coffin. Arin nods back. 

Arin can see where someone tried to tame his curly hair, and failed miserably. It almost makes him giggle. Dan, in his 39 years of life, was never able to control his own hair. His skin looks far too smooth, his skin pale and unsettling. 

“I’m sorry this is too late, but… here.” 

Arin searches through his pocket, and pulls out a small blue flower. He presses it to his lips, feeling the soft petals brush against his lips. He places it on Dan’s lips.   
His hand brushes against Dan’s face. Cool, and too rough to be alive anymore. But Arin gently cups Dan’s cheek, rubbing his thumb in circles. 

“I’m sorry I was too late.”


End file.
